A bet on Black Caviar just the ticket for bookies

WHILE bookmakers may claim that Black Caviar is doing them no favours with 14 wins as favourite - the last 13 at odds-on - her trainer Peter Moody claims the satchel swingers should not complain despite her victory at $1.07 on Saturday.

Moody said he signed as many as 200 winning tickets taken on Black Caviar following her triumph.

''There were tonnes of $5 and $10 bets on her that I'm sure the people weren't going to collect. They wanted to keep them as a memento.''

The trainer said the champ had a relaxing day yesterday with a leisurely lap of the Caulfield pool and a walk to help her recover from her first-up run before sights are set on win No. 15 in the group 2 Schweppes Stakes over 1200 metres at Moonee Valley on Cox Plate day, October 22.

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ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER DARLEY WINNER?

TRAINER Peter Snowden confirmed yesterday that Caulfield Guineas winner Helmet would continue on in his preparation for the Cox Plate, for which he is now the warm favourite. But before that, another feature race looms for the all-conquering Darley stable.

On Saturday, Helmet's even more famous stablemate Sepoy will enjoy a Black Caviar-like romp when he runs as a long odds-on favourite in the group 2 Caulfield Sprint over 1100 metres in his final hit-out before his ultimate spring goal, the group 1 $500,000 Coolmore Stud Stakes at Flemington two weeks later.

A decision will then be made whether he backs up seven days later to take on Black Caviar in the Patinack Farm Classic.

Snowden said Helmet was in fine shape yesterday morning despite two tough runs in two weeks. ''He's an extremely fit horse and well conditioned for the race. I think he's earned his place in a Cox Plate field. I've been around a while and I know how hard these races are to win, but he must be one of the chances.''

WALLER'S CUP TRIO

CHRIS Waller will run just one of four horses he had among the third declarations for Saturday's Caulfield Cup, but that is not an indication the leading Sydney trainer will struggle to have a Melbourne Cup runner. Rather, he intends having three.

Waller said yesterday that Glyn Schofield had been booked to ride imported horse Hawk Island in the Caulfield Cup, in which it is hoped he can show the form to warrant a shot at the Melbourne Cup along with Metropolitan Handicap winner The Verminator and Sydney Cup winner Stand To Gain.

''If it's a fast-run race then it will really suit Hawk Island, who had no luck in the Metrop and he drops a lot in weight,'' he said.

As for The Verminator, Waller said he will take the horse to the Melbourne Cup via the Mackinnon Stakes on Victoria Derby day while Stand To Gain will run on Saturday in the listed Tatts Club Cup (2400 metres) at Randwick - the race won last year by Melbourne Cup runner-up Maluckyday.

SMERDON'S CUP PLAN

MOST trainers would walk across broken glass to be at Flemington saddling up a horse on Melbourne Cup day, but Robert Smerdon will instead be hoping he is somewhere overseas when the $6.2 million race is run.

Smerdon's Shewan ran into Melbourne Cup calculations by winning Saturday's group 2 Herbert Power Stakes, but Smerdon figures it might be best for the gelding's connections that he be elsewhere on November 1.

Smerdon explained that he had won stakes races this year with Eclair Mystic while he was at a wedding on Hamilton Island, then he was absent from the track when attending son Xavier's wedding in Korea on the day Lone Rock took out the Bobbie Lewis Stakes at Flemington in August.

As Shewan was leaping up the Melbourne Cup order of entry on Saturday, Smerdon was on Long Island in Queensland attending another wedding. ''I am open to invitations for Melbourne Cup day,'' the trainer joked yesterday.

DON'T THINK HE'S FINISHED

JUST 12 months ago, he won the Caulfield Stakes in a canter on his way to a second Cox Plate and again So You Think is set to star in the month of October following an announcement that he could run in next weekend's group 1 Champion Stakes at Newmarket.

So You Think finished a luckless fourth in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe a week ago, but AAP reported that trainer Aidan O'Brien said the horse was ready to run again. ''He's got a great constitution and if I had my way I'd run him every week,'' he said. ''The boys will make up their minds, but at the moment he seems very well.''